Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines put their lives on the line every day for this great nation.
Congress must ensure that every defense dollar is spent on the most important national security priorities rather than on unnecessary or wasteful initiatives.
The President should seek and receive the approval of the Congress prior to U.S. military engagement as set forth by the War Powers Act.
The Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) passed after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks should not apply to today’s conflicts in the Middle East. A majority of Members of Congress in office today never had a chance to vote on it. The 2001 AUMF should not be a blanket license for military intervention, and more recent military deployments require their own authorizations.
I do not believe that the military should be able to exercise the power of detention at home against U.S. citizens.
Actions
Voted against the National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) for 2012-2023 because in each instance the NDAA legislation arguably expands the original Authorization of the Use of Military Force, which was enacted in the aftermath of 9/11. I was particularly concerned with these bills because, I believe, the NDAA would permit the U.S. military to detain American citizens on American soil without all of their Constitutional guarantees. When language isn't absolutely clear, and there is an issue of liberty for U.S. citizens, if I am to err, I choose to err on the side of liberty.
I have supported various efforts to bring new projects and jobs to the sprawling defense industry in Virginia.
I supported H.R. 3364, the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which became law in 2017. It directed the President to place and maintain sanctions on bad actors, including entities in Iran, Russia, and North Korea, threatening the security of the United States.
